The floor is considered the coldest part of the house, especially when it comes to a country wooden structure. There is nothing surprising in this, the usual laws of physics: warm air rushes up, and cold air creeps along the bottom, besides, drafts blow through the legs from the cracks between the cracked floorboards.
A solid foundation, four strong walls and a reliable roof - this is only part of a comfortable suburban housing. In order to minimize heat loss, it is necessary to carry out floor insulation in a wooden house.
The functions of this action are extremely clear: saving from 20% to 30% of heat, a significant decrease in humidity, preventing the appearance of mold, reducing the cost of organizing stove, gas or electric heating. A solid, warm floor will make your life in a wooden house in the bosom of nature as pleasant as possible. You will feel comfortable both in the gloomy off-season and in the winter frosts.
What is the best way to insulate the floor in a wooden house?
Floor insulation in wooden houses is made using different materials with the same characteristics. As the simplest and inexpensive heaters, which are poured in a layer over the floor rough flooring, which serves as an auxiliary base.
These materials have sufficient hygroscopicity, they protect the wood from decay, the appearance of fungus and microorganisms, and also provide air movement. However, this method of thermal insulation has a significant drawback: loose non-metallic heaters lose their hygroscopicity over time.
Introductory video guide
A country house made of logs or timber is an environmentally friendly dwelling, therefore environmental requirements are also imposed on materials for its insulation. This will help preserve the unique natural aura! Previously, sawdust, granular sawdust insulation, sawdust concrete, wood concrete, and also foam plastic were widely used for floor insulation. But today there are more convenient and effective materials on sale that are also environmentally friendly.
Currently, manufacturers produce a wide range of heat insulators. They offer to warm the floors in a wooden house with mineral wool made on the basis of basalt, stone chips or slag, ecowool made from cellulose, fiberglass, foam plastic, expanded polystyrene, foam foam, isolon and other modern materials. Usually they are also used for thermal insulation of walls, attic and roofing. Each insulation has its own characteristics, therefore, when choosing a material, you need to consider its pros and cons.
At the same time, there are general requirements for all heat insulating materials. They should be light (not weighing down the structure of a wooden structure), durable, safe, easy to install and, of course, have low thermal conductivity.
Insulation is selected taking into account the parameters of the building, while avoiding heat leakage is possible only with proper organization of thermal insulation.
Fiberglass and mineral wool- these are materials whose distinctive characteristics are density, low thermal conductivity, good sound absorption, durability, availability, environmental friendliness, incombustibility, chemical resistance, water resistance and a high level of thermal insulation, therefore they are most often used for floor insulation in a wooden house.
Sometimes unscrupulous manufacturers use harmful phenol-formaldehyde resins to connect the fibers in these materials. Glass wool that does not comply with environmental requirements has a yellowish tint, and mineral wool has a brownish tint.
Expanded polystyrene and foam- modern materials that are sprayed onto the surface of the auxiliary floor and fill the space between the lags. They are distinguished by such qualities as profitability, low thermal conductivity, minimum water absorption, shape and volume stability, environmental friendliness, biostability, efficiency and durability.
Due to the low cost and ease of use, expanded polystyrene and foam plastic are used in wooden houses for floor insulation and other structures. High-quality polystyrene foam must be absolutely dry, without the presence of volatile compounds, which, when the temperature rises, can be released and cause harm to health.
Acrylic and latex binders used in the production of these materials are safe for the human body. This is confirmed by quality certificates.
The main manufacturers of materials for thermal insulation of buildings today are the following companies: Izovol, Izorok, Izorus, Knauf, Rockwool, Ursa and others.
Stage 1- flooring of the subfloor along the logs. This simple and versatile design is most often used in renovations and new construction. Its main advantage is that the insulation is not affected by mechanical loads, so any heat insulator material can be used.
Such a floor is made of wooden shields or unhewn boards approximately 25x150 mm in size. You can also use boards that are left over from the foundation formwork for these purposes, provided they are in good condition. In any case, the tree is recommended to be pre-treated with an antiseptic composition.
First, wooden logs are laid, not bringing them to the walls for about 2-3 cm. They are either installed by the method of a T-shaped cut into a log house, or laid on a foundation, brick posts or a wooden lining at a distance of 0.6-1.0 m from each other. A cranial bar with a section of no more than 50x50 mm is attached to the lags with the help of screws, then shields or draft boards are nailed to it from below, making sure that there are no large gaps between them.
Stage 2- installation of insulation. Sheet, slab or roll heat-insulating material (polystyrene, glass, eco-, mineral wool, etc.) is tightly laid on a wooden base between the logs, and the remaining gaps are filled with mounting foam. Sometimes such a heater is laid under the subfloor.
Sprayed insulation is fixed using special equipment. These materials have good adhesion, follow the contours of the surface and do not form joints.
Stage 3- Laying vapor barrier (waterproofing) material. Waterproofing of the subfloor without fail is carried out when warming the wet rooms of a wooden house, as well as in the case of using hygroscopic heat insulators. In particular, it is necessary when using fiberglass, ecowool or mineral wool as a heater. At the same time, it can be dispensed with in the case of the use of sprayed heaters.
Waterproofing is divided into impregnating, painting and pasting. Pasting materials include polyethylene films, PVC membranes, glassine, roofing felt, isoplast, etc. Film waterproofers perfectly protect the fibrous insulation from the penetration of condensate and soaking with moisture.
Sheets of vapor barrier film are laid on top of the thermal insulation layer with an overlap of about 15 cm, and the edges are folded over by about 10 cm and attached to the logs. Joints and gaps formed are glued with metallized adhesive tape. Sometimes two layers of moisture-resistant film are laid: waterproofing - on the subfloor, vapor barrier - on the insulation.
Stage 4- Laying the final floor and its finishing. The finished floor is laid on top of the vapor barrier layer at a distance of 3-4 cm from the auxiliary base (subfloor). For its device, specially processed boards 9.8-14.5 cm wide and 3.0-4.4 cm thick are used, having longitudinal grooves on the underside to ensure natural ventilation.
Video guide to floor insulation in a wooden house
It is not recommended to use non-edged boards for laying the finishing floor, because before laying they will need to be prepared: chop off the wane with an ax, plan the front side. This is a rather laborious process that takes time and effort. Sometimes wood fiber boards (MDF) and a soundproof coating are placed on top of the boards.
To enlarge, click on the picture
Paint and varnish or slabs, linoleum, carpet are used as finishing materials for a finished insulated floor in a wooden house. They are laid according to generally accepted rules governing the installation of these materials, and then skirting boards, or profiled rails, are mounted along the joints with the walls. In straight sections they are connected at an angle of 90 degrees, and in the corners - at an angle of 45 degrees.
Profiled rails are pressed tightly against the floor and walls and fastened with 75 mm nails, keeping a distance of 60-70 cm between them. Also, the nails must be driven into the junctions of the skirting boards.
In domestic climatic conditions, the need for insulation of residential buildings is beyond doubt. Owners of private houses have to solve this problem on their own. Wooden boards, from which in most cases the floors are made in suburban households, deform over time, and gaps appear in the initially tightly knocked down coating.
It is hard to imagine, but up to thirty percent of thermal energy can escape through these cracks in the cold season. As a result, heating costs rise sharply, and the comfort of living in the winter period decreases. To prevent these consequences, it is necessary to insulate the floors with high quality.
The list of materials for floor insulation is quite wide.Variants of wood floor insulation technologies
The procedure for thermal insulation of a wooden floor should be provided for at the stage of designing and building a house, and then minimal labor and financial resources will be required. If it is necessary to perform this manipulation, when the overlap is already ready, the technology for performing work is much more complicated. In this case, it is possible to do the work correctly and insulate the floor from above, directly along the old coating, or with its partial dismantling. There is also the option of insulating the flooring from the bottom of the basement.
In this case, it is more convenient to insulate the floor from the basement side. Thermal insulation of floors is made from above if the house has a low basement. If at the same time the flooring is dismantled, only logs are left. The procedure is very labor intensive. In the event that the basement is of sufficient depth, the laying of the insulating material can be done from below. This is much easier and faster, since in the process of doing the work you will not have to dismantle and disassemble the flooring if it is in good condition.
The better to insulate the floors in a private house
Do-it-yourself floor insulation in a private house is quite realistic. In this case, a variety of heat-insulating materials are used. Which one is better is determined after analyzing their performance characteristics and the specific conditions in which they will be operated. Insulated floor significantly increases the comfort of living in the house at negative ambient temperatures and reduces heating costs.
Ecowool - one of the options for insulation for wooden floors Styrofoam and expanded polystyrene are widely used, the use of glass wool and mineral wool has its own characteristics. The simplest and cheapest method of insulating the surface of a wooden floor is with expanded clay or using sawdust. The so-called dry screed has good performance characteristics.
Advantages and disadvantages of polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam
Many people know that it is possible to insulate the floor with foam. Expanded polystyrene for the floor is also popular with professional builders and home craftsmen. Styrofoam and expanded polystyrene, due to their excellent performance, are most widely used as insulating materials. Except for minor differences, their specifications are comparable to each other. The use of these thermal insulation materials has the following advantages:
- low cost;
- low thermal conductivity;
- small mass;
- wide area of use;
- long service life;
- resistance to pathogenic microflora;
- ease of installation.
Quite often, the floor is insulated with foam In addition to the above advantages, these materials also have operational disadvantages. Their list is also quite impressive, the following negative qualities can be noted:
- emit harmful substances when ignited;
- prevent the passage of water vapor;
- afraid of exposure to direct sunlight;
- attractive to rodents;
- are destroyed on contact with solvents;
- have low mechanical strength.
Characteristics of "Dry screed" for floor insulation
The so-called "Dry screed", which is made from gypsum fiber, is great for thermal insulation of the wooden floor of a private house. The use of this composition implies the following positive aspects:
- excellent thermal insulation;
- fire safety;
- ease of installation;
- compatibility with all finishing coatings;
- small thickness;
- good sound absorption characteristics.
The process of laying a "dry screed" for floor insulation At the same time, since we are insulating the floor with a factory-made dry mixture, its high consumption should be taken into account: twenty kilograms of the mixture are required to process one square meter of surface. In addition, when water penetrates, the geometric dimensions of the dry screed change, which can lead to damage to the finish coating.
Possibility of using mineral wool
Mineral wool is widely used to provide thermal insulation for wooden floors. The material is made in the form of plates, which are easy to lay on the floor with your own hands.
Mineral wool is well suited for floor insulation Mineral wool has many positive properties. The material is distinguished by excellent sound-absorbing and heat-insulating qualities, fire safety, prevents the reproduction of pathogenic microflora, and is resistant to aggressive chemical environments.
However, when water enters, deformation and partial loss of heat-insulating qualities occur. In addition, mineral wool has low mechanical strength and does not belong to environmentally friendly materials.
Features of the use of glass wool
Glass wool is similar in its characteristics to mineral wool. A feature of its use is that when performing work, you need to carefully ensure that it does not get into the organs of vision or on the skin.
Glass wool - a common option for insulating a wooden floor The production process is complicated by the need for the employee to use personal protective equipment. The negative quality of this material is its significant shrinkage over time, as a result of which, if improperly installed, thermal insulation is violated.
Pros and cons of using expanded clay
Expanded clay is a clay-based foamed and fired granules of a porous structure. The big advantage of this material is its low cost, environmental friendliness, low weight and long service life of about fifty years. Expanded clay has excellent soundproofing and insulating qualities. Thus, the thermal insulation of the surface of a wooden floor with expanded clay will not make a hole in the family budget.
Expanded clay floor insulation - simple and inexpensive The disadvantage of its use can be considered the need to perform a layer of backfill that is significant in thickness, otherwise the wooden floors will remain cold, especially at sharply negative ambient temperatures. In addition, it absorbs moisture well, although it does not lose its insulating properties.
Sawdust is the cheapest material
The cheapest material in terms of cost is finely chopped sawdust. They do not pose any danger to human health, the technology for performing work is extremely simple: the space between the rough and finish flooring is filled with sawdust. Before use, this material must be thoroughly dried for at least twelve months, otherwise it will quickly become unusable. Cutting waste from freshly cut trees cannot be used immediately.
Apparently, sawdust is the most budget option for floor insulation. By increasing or decreasing the thickness of the layer, the level of thermal insulation is adjusted. In the northern regions with a very cold climate, a very thick layer has to be poured. It is necessary to take into account the attractiveness of this material for rodents and to repel them, add two parts of dry slaked lime to the composition. The disadvantage of sawdust is the occurrence of rotting processes in them when wet.
Modern choice - isolon and penofol
Undoubted operational advantages are the use of such modern materials as isolon and penofol as a heater. Izolon is a foamed polyethylene covered with a layer of foil and has excellent soundproofing qualities with a very small thickness. The material does not support combustion, prevents the development of pathogenic microflora and corrosion processes, a two-centimeter layer is comparable in soundproofing and heat-saving properties with masonry in one brick.
Fragments of laying penoizol for floor insulation Penofol produced in the form of rolls consists of several layers of insulation, on top of which there is a reflective foil. It acts as a screen that prevents large losses of thermal energy.
When using penofol, it is not necessary to carry out additional work on waterproofing or arranging a vapor barrier layer.
The easiest way is laying a double floor
The easiest way to perform insulation is to provide for the laying of a double floor at the stage of building a house, which is a rough and finish coating. Such a system of insulation should be used in a room with high ceilings, as you have to take up useful space.
The construction technology provides for the laying of logs on which the subfloor will be strengthened. The covering can be made of wooden boards, chipboards, OSB or other similar materials, it is only important that the structural elements fit snugly together without forming gaps.
Arrangement of a double floor - a reliable option for insulation Insulating material is laid on the surface of the subfloor between the guides. At the same time, sand should not be used as its quality at high natural humidity, since in this case condensation may form. A finishing coating of wooden boards about five centimeters thick is mounted on top of the insulation. The new coating will have to be painted, as described in the article
Of course, the old floor can also be insulated in the same way, however, the reduction in the relative height of the ceiling should be taken into account.
The most correct floor insulation - according to the logs
When building a new house or dismantling the coating, the most correct floor insulation is the method of performing work on logs. In this case, the insulation is placed between the logs, which serve as the basis for the finished floor. Depending on the design of the building, the basis for the installation of logs and insulation can be a subfloor made on their own logs, as well as a concrete coating or even soil. In the latter case, it is useful to equip a clay castle to protect it from moisture with a layer of about 5-10 cm.
Dense insulation can be held between the lags on ordinary nails In the technology under consideration, the height of the lag and the distance between them must correspond to the height of the insulation and its width. Before installing the floor covering on top of the insulation, it is necessary to equip a vapor barrier layer of a waterproof film fixed on the logs. The joints of the film can be fixed with adhesive tape.
How to insulate floors with your own hands from below without removing the old floor
If a private house has a deep cold basement, the most correct way would be to insulate the floor from below without removing the old coating. This does not require choosing a material that can withstand the weight of heavy furniture and other mechanical loads. In this case, not only the finished surface will be protected, but the entire floor as a whole, and the dew point of the floor will shift outward, and the floor will not rot.
When performing such a task, some difficulties lie in rapid fatigue when working with constantly raised hands. There are also restrictions on the types of heat-insulating material and the need for its fastening with increased reliability.
Schematically, insulation from below is performed as follows:
- first, a waterproofing layer is equipped;
- then a heat insulator is located;
- on top of it, insulation from water vapor;
- then an overlap is performed to ensure the retention of the thermal insulation of the floor.
Styrofoam can be fixed from below with nails with spacers and mounting foam Adhering to this technology when doing the work with your own hands, you can get the most comfortable temperature conditions in the living quarters of the house. The heat insulator should be of low weight, since it will exert a constant load on the fasteners, bulk materials are not suitable in this case.
Floor insulation in a wooden house from the inside with foam or glass wool
Insulation from the inside with foam or glass wool gives good results. These materials are lightweight and have excellent thermal insulation properties. First, waterproofing is fixed to the lower surface of the ceiling using a stapler. Next, you can lay the thermal insulation boards in such a way that they are held during installation due to frictional forces. To do this, their width should be slightly larger than the distance between the lags. When working with glass wool, be sure to use personal protective equipment for the respiratory system, vision and skin.
Penoplex - a reliable insulation of a wooden floor A vapor barrier film is applied over the insulation, which is attached to the logs with staples and a stapler. Further along the logs, a frame is mounted that holds the insulation. It can be made from any material that suits you in appearance and durability. Between the retaining elements, gaps are allowed through which the insulation is guaranteed not to fall out.
Step-by-step instructions for thermal insulation of a wooden floor with polyurethane foam
At present, thermal insulation of a wooden floor with polyurethane foam has become widespread. To perform this work, it is necessary to first prepare the base on which the ecowool will be applied, and spray the composition onto the lower surface of the floor. The step-by-step instruction looks like this:
- the coating is cleaned of contaminants and thoroughly degreased;
- the base is dried to a moisture content of not more than five percent;
- the high pressure unit is connected by hoses to containers with mixture components;
- polyurethane foam spreads evenly over the floor surface;
- the drying time of the coating occurs within two days from the moment of application.
It is quite possible to insulate wooden floors from below with polyurethane foam High-pressure equipment used to spray polyurethane foam is very expensive. It is irrational to purchase it for arranging thermal insulation in a private house and it is better to rent this equipment.
The floor is one of the coldest parts of the house. In particular, this applies to the first floors of multi-storey buildings, as well as private wooden houses. This is primarily due to the fact that cold air tends to sink down, and drafts also blow from under the floor. Therefore, in order to obtain a warmer floor and reduce heat loss in the house, the floor must be properly insulated. This is especially necessary if the floor of the house is made of wood. Even in the event that the docks fit tightly to each other, over time they will dry out, and it will begin to see through from the crevices. As a result, heat loss in the house can reach 30%. You can insulate a wooden floor with your own hands, the technology is quite simple. However, before insulating a wooden floor, it is necessary to study the properties of various heaters.
Floor insulation is an integral part of the construction and repair of private houses.
wood flooring technology
Before starting the process of floor insulation, you need to decide on a number of important parameters, namely: the possible height of the thermal insulation layer and the entire structure, the operating conditions of the surface (indoor conditions - humidity and temperature, load, purpose). Only after you decide on these parameters, it will be possible to properly insulate a wooden house.
The technology of warming such a floor is quite simple, you can easily handle it yourself. Properly arranged thermal insulation consists of a layer of thermal insulation material, vapor barrier and flooring. In the process of designing a heat-insulating layer, it is necessary to determine its thickness. The thickness of such a layer depends on climatic conditions and on the type of insulation. For each building, it is selected individually.
Insulation of a wooden floor on logs
Most often, for warming a wooden floor in a house, the method of warming on logs is used.
Scheme of floor insulation on logs.
It is relatively simple, but at the same time very effective, it makes it possible to eliminate significant heat losses. This method is relevant only for floors that are close to the ground (plinths, first floors).
This insulation technology is carried out as follows. First, wooden logs with a T-shaped notch are installed in a log house or on a foundation in increments of 60-100 cm. Next, you need to fix the boards or shields on which the insulation layer will be laid. Shields (boards) are hemmed from below or fixed on special cranial bars. Next, on the flooring between the lags, you need to lay a heater.
The next stage is the laying of a waterproofing and vapor barrier layer. This stage is needed only in some cases - depending on what material is used for insulation. For example, protection from moisture and vapors is needed in case of insulation using mineral wool, ecowool. The vapor barrier is overlapped by 10-15 cm, and its edges are bent to a height of up to 10 mm. An ordinary polyethylene film can be used as a vapor barrier material. At the same time, the film must be laid so that it goes around each rafter, is in an even state and is fixed with brackets to the supporting elements of the roof. The film is one of the most inexpensive vapor barrier materials. Despite its relatively low cost, polyethylene film does an excellent job with the tasks.
The final stage of insulation on the logs is the installation of floorboards and finishing with the selected floor covering.
What is the best way to insulate a wooden floor?
Floor insulation with polyurethane foam is a durable, reliable coating.
You can insulate a wooden floor using a variety of materials. Most often, mineral wool, polyurethane foam, ecowool, penofol, polystyrene are used for this. You can insulate the floor with sawdust, polystyrene foam and expanded clay. The choice of a particular material depends on many parameters and personal preferences of the owner of the house.
Warming of the subfloor is carried out in the same way as on the logs. That is, first you need to fix the bars to the sides of the lags, after which you need to lay boards on them with the help of self-tapping screws or nails, which should be cut out in accordance with the distance between the lags. When all the boards are fixed and an integral surface is formed, it is covered with a vapor barrier material. After that, between the lags, the selected insulation should be laid tightly, without gaps. Finally, a layer of vapor barrier is laid again. This concludes the work on the insulation of the subfloor. When using certain thermal insulation materials, a vapor barrier layer may not be necessary.
One of the simplest and most affordable materials with which you can insulate the floor is sawdust. Despite its simplicity, sawdust has very good characteristics. The main advantages of this material are its low cost (compared to other types of thermal insulation materials) and the ease of backfilling, which makes it possible to insulate even hard-to-reach and narrow places. As you know, sawdust is obtained as a result of processing natural wood, which means that they are an environmentally friendly, natural material. Of all the materials made on the basis of sawdust, sawdust in its pure form is mainly used to insulate a wooden floor.
The most economical and environmentally friendly material for floor insulation is sawdust.
You can insulate a wooden floor with mineral wool, which can be glass, slag and stone. One of the main advantages of this material is its absolute incombustibility. In addition, mineral wool has a number of other advantages: biological and chemical resistance, fire resistance, high heat and sound insulation characteristics. Among the disadvantages are low vapor permeability and low mechanical strength.
Penofol is one of the modern heat-insulating materials. Penofol appeared relatively recently and has not yet become widespread. This is a rolled multilayer material consisting of a heater and a reflective layer, which is a thin polished aluminum foil. Almost any insulation can act as a base (insulating material). The most preferred translucent materials, which include polyethylene foam.
Expanded polystyrene is also very popular. This is due to the many advantages and the almost complete absence of disadvantages. Such a heater is characterized by low vapor permeability and thermal conductivity, fire resistance, high strength, chemical and biological resistance (does not decompose, does not undergo mold, is not afraid of rodents). The cellular structure of the material makes it durable and very effective as a thermal insulation of a wooden floor.
Penofol is a modern material for insulation. It is thin, light, has high thermal insulation properties.
You can insulate a wooden floor with ecowool. This material consists of 80% cellulose and 20% of various natural additives. Organic antiseptic lignin and boric acid are used as a binder. It is due to this composition that the main advantage of ecowool is determined - its environmental friendliness, complete safety for humans.
Polyurethane foam is obtained by synthesizing two components - isocyanate and polyol components. By changing the formulation and processing mode, it is possible to obtain various materials: from plastic and soft to hard, differing in density and physical and mechanical characteristics.
How best to insulate the floor: stages of work
To properly insulate a wooden floor, you need to have a number of tools and accessories at hand. Some of them will be used constantly, while others are needed on a case-by-case basis. You will need:
To insulate the floor, you will need a level, a drill, a screwdriver, a saw, and a tape measure.
- Drill for drilling various holes.
- Level - length not less than 200-250 cm.
- The rule is a special rail made of metal or wood, the length is from 120 to 200 cm.
- Mixer - equipment for mixing various compositions.
- Screwdriver - a device for tightening various fasteners.
- An electric jigsaw is a device that automates sawing work.
- Ordinary saw.
- Roulette.
- Chopping.
- Pencil.
The process of insulating a wooden floor may vary slightly depending on which material has been chosen as thermal insulation. Next, the most popular and common method will be considered.
Chipboard is very often used as flooring, which can be explained by its relatively low cost with a fairly high quality.
The scheme of floor insulation in the house with penofol and foam complex.
Laying on the foundation or tying a waterproofing material (roofing material) is in progress. This material is needed so that the sand does not absorb water and other liquids that can get into it from the foundation. The sand layer itself should not be too large.
Leveling the sand cushion can be done with almost any improvised means, for example, using a shovel or rake. Next, a polyethylene film is laid. Much attention should be paid to its thickness. Actually, the thicker the film, the more efficiently the system will cope with the tasks assigned to it.
The polyethylene film is attached to the base. For this, a construction stapler is used.
The next step is foam flooring (or laying another material of your choice). This material is excellent for thermal insulation. Firstly, it remarkably saves heat and provides high protection against noise. Secondly, this material is not hazardous to human health, it does not ignite and is characterized by chemical inertness.
Make sure that after laying there are no extraneous holes left. All gaps must be eliminated without fail.
The final stage is the creation of the last layers in the amount of two. Layers are made from chipboard. That's all, the process of warming the wooden floor in a private house is over. In reality, any construction work looks simple and easy only on paper. However, if you strictly follow the instructions given, then you will definitely succeed.
Needless to say, how important it is to insulate the wooden floor in a private house in order to achieve the proper comfort of the people living in it. When heat is lost through the floor covering, residents constantly feel cold in their feet, which affects their general well-being. It is equally important to save energy resources, up to 20% of which can be spent on heating the ground under the building. Therefore, this article is devoted to the issues of proper performance of work on the insulation of wooden floors and the selection of suitable materials for this purpose.
Wood floor insulation technology
We decided to start with this question, since this technology is performed in the same way, no matter what type of insulation you decide to choose. Simplicity is explained by the presence of lags, due to which an empty space is formed between the base and the floor covering. It remains to figure out how to properly fill it with heat-insulating material and thereby insulate the floors in a village or country house.
First, a little about the design of the wooden floor on the ground floor in order to better understand the physics of the insulation process. Logs are load-bearing wooden beams of large cross-section, resting on various types of bases:
- strip foundation;
- pile-screw foundation frame;
- brick columns;
- solid concrete slab.
In the first three cases, the beams are above the ground, so cranial bars are nailed to their sides to make a rough filing. Boards impregnated with an antiseptic are placed and attached to them, they serve as the basis for laying the insulation. The floor insulation scheme on the first floor of a private house is shown in the figure:
- In order for the floor insulation in a wooden house, made by hand, to comply with generally accepted technology, it will be correct to act in the following sequence:
- The lower filing of the log (rough floor) is covered with a dense polyethylene film for waterproofing. Cloths are laid with an overlap of at least 10 cm.
- Insulation is laid tightly and without gaps between the lag.
- A vapor barrier film is again laid on top.
- A fine floor covering with a ventilation gap is arranged. When the thickness of the insulation is equal to the height of the beam, then the gap will not work and you need to additionally install special strips - counter rails.
For reference. Sometimes in old houses you can see how the floor insulation is done from below. This method can be used when there is sufficient clearance between the first floor and the ground. Then in the old house you can not remove the floor covering, but insulate it from below and immediately hem it with boards directly to the beams, which is very inconvenient.
The bottom layer of waterproofing is needed to prevent water from getting inside and wind blowing. The upper vapor barrier will not allow moisture released inside the premises to pass into the thickness of the insulation, and ventilation will allow airing and drying the surface of the film. In principle, floors on logs lying on a concrete base are insulated using the same technology. Only the waterproofing film is laid directly on top of the concrete surface with an overlap on the logs.
What insulation is better to choose for a wooden floor
I must say that the choice of thermal insulation materials on the modern market is so wide that it is sometimes very difficult for a simple homeowner to understand which insulation for a wooden floor is better. We give a general list of the most popular heaters and analyze the properties of each of them separately:
- sawdust;
- expanded clay;
- basalt wool;
- polyfoam and extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex);
- foamed polyethylene (isolon, penofol);
Before proceeding to consider all the heaters used for floors on logs, it is worth touching on the topic of the thickness of the heat-insulating layer. In order not to go into complex calculations, this method of determining it is proposed: for the middle zone with a temperate climate, the thickness of the foam layer (density 25 kg / m3) should be at least 100 mm. Accordingly, in the north this indicator increases to 150-200 mm, and in the south it decreases to 80 mm.
Note. Polyfoam is one of the most common materials, so the calculation is made on it. Other heaters will differ in thickness, but it still cannot be more than the height of the beam, and this must be taken into account.
Insulation with sawdust and expanded clay
These materials are still used to this day for warming wooden floors on logs, since they are the cheapest. Another thing is that their thermal insulation properties leave much to be desired and are very low compared to modern heaters. Therefore, it is worth using them with low requirements for insulation at home or in the country, where people visit periodically.
For reference. For example, the thermal conductivity of foam plastic with a density of 33 kg / m3 is 0.031 W / m ° C, while the best indicator of expanded clay with a density of 200 kg / m3 is 0.1 W / m ° C. That is, 3 times worse.
Given the high thermal conductivity, when insulating with expanded clay or sawdust, it makes no sense to determine the thickness of the layer, each opening between the lags is filled up to the top. In this case, sawdust should be dry and, if possible, compacted. To prevent mice from eating them, an old folk method is proposed - to sprinkle lime milk on top.
Although sawdust decays over time, they can be easily replaced with new ones, and this is a plus. More time will be spent on the dismantling and reassembly of the flooring. At the same time, expanded clay is a very durable insulation and will serve safely for as many years as the house itself will stand. By the way, expanded clay insulation is used as a combined one with other materials. In this case, it is poured into the cavity between the subfloor and the ground, as shown in the diagram:
Use of mineral wool
The main advantage of mineral wool in slabs or rolls over other heaters is resistance to high temperatures and incombustibility, which is very important for wooden structures. In addition, rodents do not like her very much. On the other hand, the material is able to absorb moisture and at the same time sharply increase thermal conductivity. Therefore, when insulating with basalt wool, it must be carefully protected from water vapor using different membranes (films).
Important. It is impossible to use various types of glass wool inside the house. This applies to ISOVER products for roof insulation.
Now about how to correctly determine the thickness of the floor insulation layer. Since the thermal conductivity of mineral wool is only slightly higher than that of polystyrene, it can be taken with a thickness of 100-120 mm for the middle strip. If you take a roll material of lower density, then it should be laid in 2 layers.
Polymer heaters
With polystyrene, things are completely opposite: it is combustible, does not absorb moisture and is loved by rodents. The last drawback can create a lot of problems in the southern regions, since mice are very fond of making nests out of foam. Therefore, it would be better to insulate the floors of a wooden house with polystyrene foam or high-density foam. Rodents bypass these polymers, and in terms of thermal conductivity they are even better.
In addition, foam insulation will last longer, since the foam plastic simply crumbles after 15-20 years. Another thing is that these materials will cost significantly more. There is one point regarding the process of laying polymer sheets. They must be clearly cut to size between the beams so that the insulation is inserted there closely, no gaps are allowed. This can result in a lot of useless waste material.
As for polyethylene foam products such as isolon or penofol, they are too thin and will not provide the necessary degree of insulation for wooden floors. With the same penofol, you can lay a subfloor before laying mineral wool, that is, use the materials together. Both isolon and penofol are vapor-tight products, which means they can be used as an additional barrier against moisture penetration.
Polyurethane foam has practically no drawbacks. It is durable, does not perceive moisture, does not deteriorate by rodents, and at the same time can withstand a fire for some time. The thermal conductivity of the insulation is almost the smallest among polymers. One trouble - for its application, compressor equipment is required, which will cost you a pretty penny, it will not be possible to insulate the floor with your own hands.
Conclusion
As you can see, it is much easier to master the technology of warming a wooden floor on logs than choosing a heater for this purpose. Which of the following is better - you need to be guided by local conditions and the size of your budget. In practice, most often homeowners introduce inexpensive options - cotton wool and polystyrene. If you have financial capabilities, then the best way is to apply polyurethane foam.
The better the building's performance in terms of heat saving, the lower the financial losses for maintaining the house in the winter. But there is one point - if the correct use of heaters gives a significant positive effect, then the wrong one is very negative. How to choose the right insulation for the floor in a wooden house? Which is better? We will tell you more in today's article.
A wooden house was previously considered a very warm structure that did not require any additional insulation work. True, not all modern developers know that the floors in old houses were made from logs cut in half, and the thickness of such coatings reached 20–25 cm. The walls of the log house were assembled from round timber Ø 55–60 cm. and for floors, boards with a thickness of no more than 2.5 cm are used. Such thin lumber cannot in any way comply with the requirements of current regulations.
According to the existing standards for heat conservation of residential buildings (SNiP II-3-79), in order to achieve energy saving R = 3.33 ° C m2 / W, the thickness of the timber in the Moscow region should be 50 cm. In order not to install such thick walls, modern insulation materials must be used . 12 cm of styrofoam has the same heat saving effect as a 53 cm thick wood or a 210 cm brick wall.
The construction industry offers consumers a wide range of thermal insulation materials that differ in structure, manufacturing technology and thermal conductivity parameters.
Table. Varieties of floor heaters
| Type of insulation | Brief description of physical and operational characteristics |
|---|---|
| In terms of cost, they belong to the middle category, quite technologically advanced and effective heaters. Rolls make it possible to cut materials exactly to the size of the niches, due to this feature it significantly reduces the number of unproductive losses. To insulate floors in a wooden house, rolled mineral wool insulation is most often used. There are also rolls of cork bark, but such materials are recommended to be used during the arrangement of underfloor heating only as additional lining insulation, since their thickness does not exceed a few millimeters. For basic insulation, this is very little. Often, rolled heaters have a foil coating. This is a reliable protection against moisture penetration, in addition, it is possible to slightly reduce heat losses due to infrared radiation. | |
| On special equipment, light and porous heaters are pressed into plates with standard dimensions. Plates, unlike rolled materials, can retain their geometry, which simplifies and speeds up the installation process. The dimensions of the slabs are taken into account at the design stage of the house, taking into account their dimensions, the distance between the floor lags is selected. Most often, mineral wool and glass wool are pressed, but ecowool slabs can be found. The price is slightly higher than rolled ones, the thermal conductivity parameters are almost the same. Separately, pressed polymer foam-based insulation is located. Modern technologies make it possible to make them safe for health and do not support open combustion. Such operational properties make it possible to use these materials for floor insulation in wooden houses. | |
| The main difference is that the materials harden or polymerize after being applied to the surface. The insulation layer has no gaps, the technology makes it possible to isolate the most inaccessible places of complex configuration. In liquid form, polymer thermal insulation and ecowool are applied. The disadvantage is the complexity of the technology of polymer insulation. According to the actual characteristics, these materials occupy the last places and are not recommended for use by professional builders. | |
| Traditional and cheapest heaters, most often - expanded clay and slag. The main advantage is that they are absolutely non-flammable. In terms of thermal conductivity, they occupy the last place among all existing heaters. |